Money is one of those topics that we Brits treat like Voldemort — we do not speak its name. From childhood, it’s drilled into us that finances are private, earnings are secret, and spending habits are nobody else’s business. We can happily talk about the weather for three hours straight, but ask someone how much they make and suddenly everyone forgets how to form sentences.
Personally, I’ve always found this bizarre. Money is what pays our bills, buys our food, keeps us warm, keeps us safe and ultimately shapes our choices — yet we tiptoe around it like it’s scandalous. So today, in a rare moment of rebellion, I’m breaking the taboo and asking a question we all secretly wonder: can money make you happy?
How My Childhood Shaped My View of Money
I grew up in a single-parent household where money was incredibly tight. My mum worked herself into the ground trying to provide for my sister and me, often sacrificing her own needs so we never felt like we went without. But even with all her strength and determination, the word “skint” was a frequent visitor in our home.
As a child, I didn’t fully understand what being skint meant, but I understood the atmosphere. I saw the anxiety at the end of the month, the stress when bills were due, the silent mental maths happening in my mum’s head at the supermarket. Even though she tried her best to shield us from it, children pick up everything. And I carried those moments like little warnings tucked into the back of my mind.
I had a happy childhood — loving, safe, and full of laughter — but I was also aware of the undercurrent of financial pressure that ran through it. I remember thinking, even at seven or eight years old, my kids will never hear the words “we can’t afford it.” Those experiences shaped me more than anything else ever has.
Understanding the Reality of Money and Happiness
Now that I’m older (and far more aware of mental health), I understand that money itself isn’t the source of happiness. You can be rich and deeply unhappy, or broke and full of joy. But what money can do — without question — is remove the type of stress that eats away at your wellbeing.
There’s a very specific kind of dread that comes from lying awake at night, wondering how you’ll pay for food, heat, or rent. Financial insecurity is emotionally corrosive. It shrinks your world and steals your peace. My mum openly admits now that she went through periods of depression because of the constant strain.
So no — money doesn’t create happiness. But it absolutely provides the stability you need to build it.
Where I Stand Now
These days, I’m very fortunate. I fell into a career I genuinely adore, I earn good money, and I can support not only my own little family but also help the people around me when they need it. And I won’t pretend otherwise: my life feels lighter because of that.
Much of my peace comes from not living with financial fear. I don’t panic at the end of the month. I don’t hold my breath at the checkout. I don’t count down the days until payday like it’s a rescue mission. I’ve worked incredibly hard to get here, but I never take it for granted — because I know exactly what it feels like to have nothing.
So yes, I do think money plays a huge role in my happiness. Not because it buys fancy things, but because it buys security, ease and freedom — and those things create the perfect environment for happiness to grow.
What Do You Think?
So, can money make you happy? My answer is that money can’t guarantee happiness, but it can absolutely relieve the burdens that make happiness difficult to access. It removes worry, gives you stability, and allows you to breathe without fear — and sometimes, that’s half the battle.
I’d love to know your thoughts. Has money impacted your happiness, either positively or negatively? Leave me a comment and let’s talk about it.
